Possible waste disposal methods are recycling, composting, incineration, landfills, bioremediation, waste to energy, and waste minimization. As for waste management, it is the measures utilized to manage waste in its entire life cycle, from waste generation to disposal or recovery.

All ships of 100 gross tonnage and above, every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more, and every fixed or floating platform must carry a garbage management plan on board, which includes written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of the equipment on board